Sibling Rivalry: Echoes of Amaris Part 1
by Ultraman1973
Summary: In the late 30th century, a dark time starts to eclipse the euphoria that followed the Great Refusal. The elimination of Clan Smoke Jaguar and the existence of the new Star League did nothing to prevent open warfare between the five Great Houses of the Inner Sphere. The horrors of the FedCom Civil War preclude an even darker time to come...
1. Chapter 1

** Sibling Rivalry**  
** Echoes of Amaris Part 1**

_Uncharted Planet_  
_Deep Periphery_  
_May 11, 3127_

On the massive farm in the middle of a sprawling agricultural community, an aging, hardened and large man sat musing on a rocking chair on his porch while his sons and grandsons delegate the various activities of performing a barn raising to their cousins and friends. Considering how much effort required without the use of technology, the patriarch started musing sadly in his chair, wondering how life could be so much better without war, without hatred, without all the bitterness that tends to twist the best of intentions into the very worst of nightmares...ghastly occurrences that never should have came to pass at all.

With sad longing eyes, the man once known as John Canales, the last leader of a very dark and vengeful legacy, recalled in his mind another life he used to live out, one now seeming to belong to someone else.

The mission to escort the civilian dropship liner Titanic in Davion space quickly became an evacuation recovery mission when pirates used grapplers to hurl a meteoroid at the dropship, causing a crippling hull breach. The unit John had been part of, suspecting possible terrorist activity, had secured passage on board the Titanic and were caught off guard.

John remembered the chaos when everyone stampeded to the lifepods and their doctor directing groups of people to the nearest ones and taking care of the wounded….  
"You there, you three over there, and I need help here, I'm a doctor not a traffic cop!"

Breaking out of his reverie, John sadly sighed, "We used to be heroes. We thought we were going to be heroes…."

"What's that Dawdi…?" a kid looked at him and asked, coming onto the porch taking a break from playing with others, dressed in the Plain clothes of the Omniss order.

The old Omniss grandfather looked at his grandson from under his sombrero, both persons of partial Hispanic descent, the older one with the telltale sign of Downes and an obvious implant where his right eye used to be.

"Oh Rafe, I didn't know you were there. I thought you were with your friends, if you really want to know, it's a long story," John explained.

"It's fine, stories are fun," Rafe naively remarked as he sat on the other chair on the farm house porch.

"Not this one, definitely not this one."

_Geneva, Earth_  
_Republic of the Sphere_  
_11 May, 3127_

Kitsune Kurita sat at the small table in his room in the nearest hotel he could find to the military headquarters of the Republic of the Sphere. His most recent errand as a Knight of the Republic was to deliver sensitive material to the military head and the main government and he accomplished that mission in spades. Now with some time to spend before he heads for the spaceport for an outbound trip to his unit, Kitsune started recording an entry on his holographic diary.

"I remember my life was full of war. Before we knew the true peace and unity that we have recently, there were wars and tragedy for over 300 years over who deserves to start a new Star League, who deserves to govern a new peace over the entire Inner Sphere. My life was even begun in tragedy for I hardly remember mom. My dad didn't even know I was alive until some time after I was born."

Kitsune paused the recording and recalled the tale told him several times by his guardians in the Imperial Court on Luthien, capital of the Draconis Combine. He was born during the Federated Commonwealth Civil War between the Federated Commonwealth and the Lyran Alliance. His parents were Victor Steiner-Davion who was the Archon-Prince of the Federated Commonwealth until his sister Katherine stole his throne in his absence, and Omi Kurita, keeper of House Kurita's purity and daughter of former Draconis Combine Coordinator Theodore Kurita. Knowing that Katherine more than likely would top the list of people that would be out to assassinate her for any number of reasons, including to get to Victor, the public at large was kept ignorant of her pregnancy and partly ignorant of their courtship. When Kitsune was finally born in early 3064, Omi passed him off to one of her numerous escorts and asked that he be secretly taken to Luthien to be raised with nobody knowing that he ever exists.

It's as if mom knew what was going to happen to her a few months later.

Unpausing the recording, Kitsune continued with one ironic thought.

"What's so civil about a war anyway?"


	2. Chapter 2

** Chapter 1**

_Bueller, Robinson_  
_Draconis March_  
_Federated Commonwealth_  
_5 December, 3063_

Tancred Sandoval rushed out of the protective viewing box reserved for the ruling family of the Draconis March, determined to learn whether the man he served alongside and admired, Arthur Steiner-Davion, was alive or dead. The bedlam and carnage of the bomb ruined stadium proved to be an almost impossible barrier between him and the shattered stage on the field. When Tancred finally got to his destination, he thought he saw another person through the smoke and blinked. When his eyes cleared, he saw nobody there. Stumbling and searching through the smoldering rubble as much as possible, Tancred hoped against logic that his friend was still alive.

Off in a secluded corner and secluded by columns of smoke from the explosion, a mysterious ageless man in nondescript robes wearing a kasa knelt over the prone, wounded and unconscious form of Arthur Steiner-Davion. Motioning to some guards and medical personnel, he ordered them to take the injured man to get medical treatment and then motioned over a technician wearing darker grey colored robes.

The man wrote down a message, gave it to the tech and told him, "Send along this message, give that wounded man false ID papers and forget you ever saw him."

"But sir, that's…."

"Enough, do as I say. I realize how important he is but someone just tried to kill him. Pretending he has died would place needless blame on people we need as allies, however something much worse could happen if that someone succeeds in killing him."

With a silent nod, the other man left and minutes later, another came with a random charred corpse.

"You did insert the proper materials to fool investigators," the kasa wearing man asked the man, apparently a forensics specialist.

"Yes sir, the jaw and remaining DNA has been tampered, nobody will know this isn't Arthur."

"Perfect. Now leave me, everything needs to be positioned just so."

The man positioned the corpse as if it was tossed from behind the podium and stood, looked around checking for any onlookers and saw someone coming and quickly fled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2**

_Markab_  
_Draconis March_  
_Federated Commonwealth_  
_15 December, 3063_

The Dark Strikers moved at a brisk pace through the grasslands from their landing zone toward the garrison base and spaceport of the 5th Lyran RCT. A few days distance between the two points and a series of Guardian Electronic CounterMeasure suites make all the difference in keeping the enemy guessing when and where the attack will be coming from since usually they do see you coming planetside. Jumpships and dropships are usually hard to hide from sensors.

The battalion sized unit moved at a clip, trying to get to the base and cripple the 5th Lyran before they can muster and cause any resistance on the planet any trouble. Major Havice silently hoped while moving his Gallowglas along the rear of the formation that the base didn't yet employ their seismic sensors to alert them to 36 pairs of giant footfalls. Ahead of them, the battlesuited infantry unit attached to them, the Prometheans Bound, played leapfrog using their jump jets and scouting ahead. The plan was to use them to cut through the fence and other related flimsy defenses to make the offense easier for the Strikers.

Suddenly one of the Hoplites exploded and stumbled, the missile array on its left side almost dangling off the side on support cables, victim of a Gauss Rifle slug.

"What the malf was that," Havice yelled into his throat mike. The chatter coming back over his cockpit's speakers informed him of the possibility of a Mech out on patrol, one also with an ECM.

"Crap that means we can't spot him, Janine do you or your men see anything?"

Janine Hawkes of the Prometheans replied over private channel, "We seen the same thing you did boss…a whole lotta….wait a sec," she went quiet and then, "One of my squads spotted it…you're not gonna like it, a few clicks eastward, a WarDog."

"Damn, we need to take care of that monster right away before it alerts the Stein-nuts. Beta Company with me, Gamma keep going toward the objective, Hawkes send one squad with Gamma and bring the rest with us."

"Will do, boss"

Minutes later, the group encountered not just the one WarDog but a lance of Clints with it. The five Mechs suddenly opened fire , a few infantry dropping wounded in their suits and missiles flew from the Hoplites to the WarDog and the Clint next to it. The WarDog expended all four of its Streak SRMs toward the armored infantry, incapacitating only one, the suit's systems sparking visibly then shutting down, however, Havice's sensors confirm the battlesuit's operator was still alive and virtually unwounded. The air on the field sparked with electrical fire as the enemy lance opened up with medium and small pulse lasers. While Havice occupied the WarDog pilot, Hawkes split her resources between the four Clints until all four pilots ejected their command couches. What remained of the battlesuit detachment attempted swarm attacks on the WarDog. The Mech's pilot quit firing and started the futile attempt of swatting off the small pests without suffering too much self damage. Disoriented, the pilot didn't realize when Jack Havice's Gallowglas grabbed the WarDog's arms and grappled with it, two titans locked in struggle while the rest of the combatants backed off. The WarDog leaned back and head butted the Gallowglass sending Jack bouncing around the cockpit, suffering bruises and welts. Ignoring various alarms and the tendency to blackout, Jack steadied his machine, hoping the Lyran was bruised enough, and used his head mounted small laser. A few quick seconds was all it took for the enemy commander was unconscious on the first shot, the enemy machine going limp before the head, including the cockpit, flew off the shoulders and grazed the hill before crashing.

Letting go of the decapitated Mech, Major Havice opened the general channel to the rest of the Stalkers.

"All units report your status."

"Sir, we obtained objective and they were alerted, however it was moderate resistance and we're just about finished here. We would enjoy the rest of you to help mop up this dirt…sir."

Relaying the information, Jack then turned the Gallowglas toward the soon to be captured enemy base, "Alpha and Beta are on their way to join in the party, keep the liquor cold and flowing for us guys."

_Kikuyu (nadir jump point)_  
_Mellisia Theatre_  
_Lyran Alliance_  
_10 February, 3063_

The KMJS Enterprise floated in the environs of the Kikuyu system, jump sail unfurled and soaking in the solar winds and charging the jump engines for a long return trip home…back to the Inner Sphere's best kept secret, the unofficial territory of the Keller Reserve Mercenary Legions in the small corner sliver of the Outworlds Alliance on the FedCom and Combine border. Selena's Slammers finished garrison duty started when Victor Steiner-Davion and Omi Kurita left with their new task force from the planet and was paid the contract price by Victor's proxies.

In her command quarters on board the Overlord dropship KMDS Amaranth, Major Aurora Emrin relaxed, reading a magazine when her communicator chirped.

"Emrin here, what do you need?"

"Major this is Captain Gwordczevitz on the Enterprise bridge, we have a high priority message routed through Tukkayyid. It's on a five hour delay due to going around the Clan zones but it's from command at Iron Klaw on Black Earth."

"Understood, I'll be right there," throwing aside the magazine, Aurora left her quarters and headed for the airlock at the docking collar between the two ships and then floated toward the Enterprise bridge. When she arrived, she went toward the holotank and thumbed her identification into the interface. The Ultra-Warlord, leader of the KRML, was shown in miniature above the emitter.

"Ultra-Warlord Canales, this contact honors me, I believe however that I have filled the necessary reports with all necessary details. There's nothing lacking that you don't already know," Aurora began, standing at attention.

At the other end of the relay, five standard hours earlier, John Canales recorded his message into the machine, "I realize Major, that you must be wondering why I am messaging you and I did get your after action reports. Representatives of forces friendly to Victor have arrived here in our space and have requested a contract with whatever we have in your area inside Lyran space. They've heard of Katherine cracking down on any unit declaring neutrality in the civil war arguing that indecision is the same as deciding for her brother. I understand that the KMDS Hindenberg is also docked with Enterprise. This is fortunate because the contract is for both Selena's Slammers and the Manji Luftwaffe. You must relay yourselves between Kikuyu and the closest convenient stretch of the Lyran/Free Worlds border in order to step up the next phase of our plan. Help any unit that declares neutrality as well as the units that declare outright for Victor. They will be isolated and behind lines hostile to them. They will also be hostile to us as well since we aren't regular troops. Are these orders understood?"

"Yes sir, what are the terms?"

The comm officer remarked that the contract was attached to the initial message and handed a noteputer to the Major.

"Hmmm, ten…eleven combined months stretched over a handful of worlds. This seems quite tight but maybe with assistance with commercial and Victor friendly jumpships that we come across, the lag time would be shaved to a reasonable amount," Aurora thumbed down to the bottom line and noticed what she was hoping to see, "Good, we will be compensated in case we requisition other ships for quick relay duties."

Turning to the Enterprise's captain, she told him to alert the Hindenberg to standby and that they would stay in system for the time being and went to back to the Amaranth to prepare for redeployment back on Kikuyu.

Hours passed as the three crews make the system preparations to undock and return planetside. The preparations were through when the sensor operator on the jumpship's bridge alerted the captain, "Sir! Jump signature is being read…looks like the troublemakers are coming, jumper is carrying three droppers…"

"Launch the dropships immediately! Tell the Hindenberg captain to prep the entire unit at his disposal! We must soften up the incoming Katrinists."

The docking collar clamps and related mechanisms released the two ships and they thrusted away from the jumpship at maximum thrusts until they were far enough to make massive burns toward their destinations. Finally the white burst of light faded as a Tramp class jumpship materialized from the jump field. Two Overlord dropships escorted by a Vengeance undocked relatively soon afterward with the entire two wings of 5th Donegal Aerospace Brigade as an advance engaging force. Halfway between the jump point and planetfall, the two forces finally engaged. Autocannon fire streaked through the inky blackness of space as PPC and laser fire lanced out and struck, creating a concert lightshow web of destruction between the five dropships as they engaged each other in transit. Shards of armor flew off in the wake of their fusion drives. The Manji Luftwaffe wings of Chippewas and Stingrays flung missiles at the Lyran dropships while engaging in blinding laser dogfights with the Shilones and Slayers of the 5th Donegal. Communication traffic crackled with status reports between the two wings and with the dropships.

On the bridge of the Amaranth, Aurora listened in on the traffic. The naval battle had quickly became bedlam with her forces engaged three ways between not being shot down by enemy fire and crippling enemy resources and any hope for victory or any easy way to withdraw.

"Stay on it…stay on it…"

"Don't get distracted, don't let the Overlord intimidate you, strike the carrier!"

"They're on me, get them off me, they are on my six!"

"Nice shot Bunton let's aim for the docking collar and mess up that malfing carrier real good."

Aurora turned and approached the Amaranth's captain, Zach Swingle, "Could we open a channel to the Hindenberg? Maybe they can help cripple the enemy carrier with a broadside volley…breach their cargo and disable a few of their batteries?"

"Worth a try, Comm Officer, contact the Hindenberg and relay the new orders. Helm, I know it's quite dangerous but bring us between the other two enemy crafts. I'm hoping a mix of twin broadside arcs and evasive maneuvers would hurt them more than us."

The two officers performed their orders with adrenaline and nerves pushing them and everyone else to near maximum limits as the two ships started their dangerous engaging maneuvers. The Amaranth shook and shuddered and alarms went off declaring multiple hull breaches and bridge reports told of several weapons being sheared off by munitions and armor being scored and scorched by laser fire. PPC and autocannon fire flew in a lethal blizzard between the three ships as the Amaranth ducked up and down between them and rotated in wild corkscrews while aiming for the cargo bays of the two hostiles. Containing many days worth of Mech ammo, rations, and other supplies vital for any mission for a particular unit, Aurora hoped to seriously cripple the 5th Donegal where it really hurt the most. Finally a lucky volley scored a tremendously bright explosion on the side of one Lyran Overlord. The tactical officer shouted, "Whoop! Breached one cargo hold and the decompression ruptured one of their fuel cells, they are leaking reaction mass and are disengaging!"

The entire bridge crew cheered and then just as quickly settled into concentrating on the other Lyran dropship. Almost entering atmosphere, Captain Swingle gave orders and relayed instructions for all fire to center on an attempt to disable landing gear.

"We cannot afford to strand everyone, if Victor's forces rout them, they would go guerilla if they have no way out. We must cause them other more devastating damage than just screwing up their escape route. Hopefully damage the equipment inside."

Face drawn in concentration, Aurora suggested a concentrated attack aiming for the Mech bay doors with PPCs and assistance from two aerospace squads with the rest of the Manji Luftwaffe doing the same for the other dropship that disengaged earlier. The comm channel crackled with static and the Hindenberg's captain reported that life support on the enemy carrier was disabled and is failing with the crew evacuating in escape pods. The Amaranth bridge crew breathed relief just as two simultaneous explosions rocked near orbit. The two enemy craft vented more atmosphere, smoke and armor and other small debris as portions of their materiel were blown into vacuum.

Satisfied with the success of the sudden situation they were thrust into, Aurora left the bridge and went down to the Mech bay to strap into her cockpit and prepare for a combat drop that she hoped would be a quick diversion for Victor's forces on planet. Her part in this war has begun.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

_Rosice_  
_Alarion Province_  
_Lyran Alliance_  
_28 November, 3063_

Claremont, Mechida, Adelaide, Mahone, Sargasso, Biuque, Krievci, Tsinan, Pobeda, Greenlaw…York, Carlisle, Rosice. Aurora shook her head as she mused in the map room on the Amaranth as it transited toward the planet of Rosice in Alarion Province. Nondi Steiner ordered the Coventry CPM to intercept the Slammers and the Luftwaffe through the fringes of the province, under the direct supervision of a battalion of the 1st Coventry Jaegers to insure the CPM wouldn't defect over to Victor's camp. These maneuvers delayed all three units in their ultimate objectives since the engaging forces also had help from locals on each planet loyal to Katrina's cause sabotaging rations and munitions. When the Slammers and Luftwaffe jumped across the provincial border, the enemy broke off but by then it was too late for them to return to their post. The rest of their garrison was defeated by Victor's Comstar task force, having been tricked into a less than ideal landscape. Finally, halfway though their journey, Aurora looked forward to escort duty being fulfilled and new orders given.

The intercom crackled on and her head perked up. "All hands, this is the captain. In five minutes we will be entering atmosphere. All technicians need to ensure that all cargo are secure and all personnel need to strap in for expected turbulence.". Aurora turned off the map device and placed it inside the desk A few minutes later she was in her bunk with the stasis straps hooked in as the sudden resistance and turbulence rocked the Amaranth as she entered atmosphere pointed skyward so the fusion drive cusions the pull of gravity. The turbulence gradually lessened as the Amaranth emerged from high orbit into a sterling clear sky with whispy clouds floating in the breese. With less pressure on the crew, Aurora knew soon their shore leave will start and this little break would be more than welcome even if she needed to do a strategy planning meeting.

Three minutes later the Amaranth's landing legs emerged and the egg shaped ship depressed the rough terrain underneath near Miranda City, one of the two large settlements on the western continent of Rosice. Orders were given that this would be a shore leave and resupply time and no combat action was foreseen. Officers, soldiers and techs disembarked and headed into town while the infantry squads set up guard dirty around the Amaranth in case of any surprises incoming from the jump points or the locals in town. Not much could be bought on this rock since it's in a remote part of the province however the common supplies between WorkMechs and other Mechs were found, heat sinks replaced and electronic components were stocked up for future repairs in combat situations. Personal weapons were replaced or repaired, ammo caches were replenished and finally most joined in raucous merriment at the local pub. Toasts were hoisted and good tines were had by all...that is until a few surly folks snuck in through the crowd, and went to the bar. Ordering drinks they observed the crowd, their faces getting more strained by the minute.

The celebration continued until one of the locals slammed down his beer and yelled, "These merca are sure noisy for Davion patsy swine!". A lance leader near him got off his stool and tried to calm the patron down but then suddenly the stranger sucker punched the soldier and then chaos ensued. Chairs and glasses were thrown and broken as bodies were shoved, hit and thrown around Soon the bouncers started to gain control of the situation as a few more bruised bodies hit the floor unconsious. "Let's get out of here" a tech yelled in the ebbing chaos as the visitors still standing rushed out the pub doors. Outside the building they froze, their eyes grew big as they encountered a small police force with an equally small posse.

"Freeze and raise em," the captain shouted as the angry mob raised their weapons pointed at the fleeing crowd. "Great, just what we need," Aurora smirked as everyone assumed the position.

"You mercs are almost as bad as pirates, always caring about who pays most, not who the legitimate power of the realm is."

"Money isn't all there is, we also care about what's right. Archon Katrina is a psychopath desiring total control of everything for herself. You know the truth...that she took over the Federated Commonwealth even though she broke away from it. She has no legal claim over her brother's throne...not even before the seperation."

"Silence! You've said enough, offworlder! You even forget where you are currently. You rabble are definately under arrest now. Frank get a few of the guys and cuff them."

A dusty miner and some hayseeds approached and frisked them then cuffed them and took them toward the precinct. Knowing that justice wouldnt really be served by Katrina loyalists, Aurora just rallied the rest to stay calm and when the ship doesn't hear from them, help would come.

Hours later nobody appeared to have came, darkness fell and then from outside the jail window a muffled voice announced the much awaited calvary. The battlesuit lasers slowly burned through the wals, powered down for silence. The segment was then pulled away with a soft gravelly growl as the squad escorted them outside.  
At the city limits, comm chatter static came through the air reporting of incoming dropships. Though rival mercs are suspected, the ID was still being determined. A mechwarrior swore under his breath and Aurora suspected the local government got word out and got mercs under Lyran contract to come assist the Katrinist sympathizers. Halfway to the LZ someone looked back and stated that company was approaching, the authorities learned that they had escaped. A few of them swore as they couldn't believe how messy this will become. Aurora called ahead to the Amaranth and Hindenberg to scramble whatever they could get ready and to launch fighters. By the time of their arrival, one wing of craft was streaking across the sky to meet up with the approaching dropship and a perimeter of infantry was established around the zone. The hovercars zoomed up into the mechbays and all scrambled out to their different duties and the Mechs were going through startup sequences. Aurora climbed into her  
Sunder-A and hooked her implant feed into the back of her neck and settled her neurohelmet onto her head and gave name, rank, password.

"Thank you Emrin, Aurora, Major… reactor online, systems online, weapons online, all systems nominal," a male voice pronounced.

Aurora opened a channel, "Attention all units this is the major. Incoming is now close enough to determine that our enemy has the markings of the merc unit known as the Grave Walkers. Let's be on our best guard and be careful out there. This encounter of course has been totally unexpected and if we all pull through then we shall take all the spoils. That seems fair enough. Now move out and…engage Augmented Imaging."

Aurora's implant glowed a jade green and her vision flashed into a computer enhanced field produced by her implant, mech sensors and the jury rigged targeting computer wedged into the Sunder=A's internal configuration. The lighter Mechs went out first and then sped off toward the enemy drop zone and then Aurora trailed behind, studying and comparing strengths and tactics. The ship, noticing the approaching opposition, hovered several meters above ground and opened the mech bay doors The Mechs of the Grave Walkers jumped out using jump jets and attatched jump packs to slow their decent. Laser and munitions fire flew between ground and sky as the two armies converged, some of the enemy force crashed on impact unable to stabilize their Mechs once their feet hit dirt. Some of the Slammer Mechs went down with either locked up legs or actuator hits, one had an unfortunate Gauss slug burrow deep into its left aide and set off an ammo explosion blowing away the left arm but the pilot was saved by his CASE pod. The one next to it wasn't so lucky when the shrapnel got under and played havoc with the fusion engine causing an overload right after the pilot ejected. Soon on equal footing, the lucky shots had ceased and then skirmish lines formed in the countryside outside of the city. Several squads of mixed Gray Death Standard and Cavalier battle armor hopped forward on jets of flame and unleashed several SRMs toward a pair of Falcon Hawks scoring torso and limb hits and received a return fire of medium lasers. Two lances worth of Firestarter G's and A's opened up with laser and autocannon fire stitching up the damaged areas of the Falcon Hawks and severing the right arms of both before the associated PPCs ever chanced to score hits. Armor melted away from the fronts of the Falcon Hawks in rivers and then, knowing they were outnumbered, the two pilots ejected. Chatter ran rampant over Aurora's comm circuit in her cockpit identifying several makes; Chameleon, Enfield, Bushwacker. Suddenly a call on her private channel got her attention from her XO notifying her of a command Mech sighting several clicks away at her 11 o'clock. Aurora nudged her sticks over forward and leftward and set off at a run toward the location. Soon she realized the closest thing the opposition had to a command Mech was a 75 ton Maelstrom. She answered the ER PPC and ER large laser fire scoring the Sunder=A's legs and torso area with LRM and Gauss rifle fire as the two titans converged. Soon the Maelstrom was joined by the Bushwacker, heavily pinged up from escaping the morass to join against Aurora. Its autocannon and machine guns opened up to join the Maelstrom's lasers as the Sunder-A rocked. Aurora hunched over from side to side in the cockpit attempting hard to keep the Mech on its feet. She aimed the Gauss rifle through blurry eyes and fired on a partial lock on the Bushwacker's head area and sparks flew from the hit, appearing to signal a critical on the sensors. She then opened up a barrage of ER PPC and laser fire on the Maelstrom and damaged its leg actuators and scored hip criticals. Slamming down the override button when the heat alarm sounded, she charged the Maelstrom and crashed into its damaged front side and crunched into it, the barrel of the PPC diving through armor and wrecking the gyro. Aurora reversed back and turned toward the Bushwacker as the Maelstrom shuddered and fell flat on its back with the pilot having the good sense to shut down and exit through the emergency hatch. Aurora called for infantry support to guard their new spoil as she concentrated lasers on the side torsos of the Bushwacker. It answered back with an autocannon barrage that scored up the right leg and damaged a foot actuator and the machine gun fire stitched across the left arm. Several areas were exposed on the Sunder-A as Aurora's fire finally opened up holes big enough to glance off ammo explosions in the opposing Mech. Both arms flew off in massive explosions with the Mech still standing, saved by CASE protection. Knowing he was beat with just the large laser remaining, the Bushwacker pilot signaled surrender and radioed his unit to fall back. The Grave Walkers then retreated toward their LZ and support trucks came forward to take what they could of the casualties. Swiping beads of sweat from her brow, Aurora opened the common channel and told the victorious Selena's Slammers to disengage Augmented Imaging and return to the Amaranth for repairs. The day was done, unexpected and unexpectantly rewardful.


End file.
